Economy

Finance Minister Mihaly Varga and National Bank of Hungary (NBH) governor Gyorgy Matolcsy discussed the current economic situation and "the most important tasks of economic policy" at a meeting on Thursday, the NBH and the finance ministry said in a joint statement.

Annual inflation in Hungary was 25.2 percent in March, down from 25.4 percent in the previous month, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Wednesday.

Hungarian retail sales fell by an annual 10.1 percent in February, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Thursday.

Hungary had a 513 million euro trade surplus in February, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Thursday.

Output of Hungary's industrial sector fell by 4.6 percent year-on-year in February, after edging down 0.2 percent in the previous month, data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Wednesday show.

Hungary's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was 55.3 points in March, down from 56.3 in February, Halpim, the index's compiler, said on Monday.

Hungary's labour market is in need of 500,000 additional workers who should preferably be found on the national market before the country turns to guest workers, the economic development minister told a meeting of the National Council for Sustainable Development on Friday.

Investors from all around the world maintain a strong interest in the Hungarian economy, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said on Friday.

Factory gate prices in Hungary rose by 29.0 percent year-on-year in February, driven by dearer energy and commodities, and the weaker forint, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Friday.

Hungary had a 413 million euro trade deficit in January, a second reading of data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Friday shows.